Christchurch Boys claim 40th anniversary school cycling title

Christchurch Boys High School upset proceedings to take out the 40th anniversary of the Sir Bernard Ferguson Trophy at the Perry Foundation national secondary school cycling championships in Levin today.

They edged out North Harbour’s Westlake Boys College and defending champions Auckland Grammar settling for third.

Christchurch Boys clocked 22m 52s on the 16km teams time trial over a windy out and back course to beat off Westlake by just eight seconds. Pre-event favourites Auckland Grammar, who broke the Auckland schools record last weekend, were third 35 seconds behind the winning time.

Auckland Diocesan won the girls’ honours claiming the Murphy Watt Trophy in emphatic fashion. They clocked 26m 48s to win by more than a minute from St Cuthberts (Auckland) and Villa Maria College (Christchurch).

St Kentigern College (Auckland) won the under-16 title for boys while Waikato Diocesan became the first school outside the Auckland region to win the under 16 girls trophy.

Hutt International claimed the boys’ year seven and eight from Taupo Intermediate, who took out the girls title.

The teams move up the road to Feilding for the road race tomorrow (Sunday) with the leading under-17 riders competing in the Novice Tour of Manawatu.

Results, Perry Foundation New Zealand Secondary School Championships:
Girls:
Senior: Auckland Diocesan 26:48, 1; St Cuthberts (Auckland) 28:21, 2; Vila Maria (Christchurch) 28:45, 3.
Under-16: Waikato Diocesan 28:35, 1; St Cuthberts (Auckland) 29:01, 2; Auckland Diocesan 29:23, 3.
Year 7-8: Taupo Intermediate 33:11, 1; Baradene College (Auckland) 36:21, 2; Sacred Heart College (New Plymouth) 36:36, 3.
Boys:
Senior: Christchurch BHS 22:52, 1; Westlake Boys 23:00, 2; Auckland Grammar 23:27, 3.
Under-16 St Kentigern (Auckland) 24:38, 1; Westlake Boys 24:55, 2; Auckland Grammar 25:36, 3.
Year 7-8: Hutt International 30:20, 1; Taupo Intermediate 32:51, 2; St Kentigern College 33:02, 3.